Nikki Audia. For our organization being so young we go up against some of the strongest people, I guess well-known, the Conservancy and the Zoo. I mean they're just Really well known. So the fact that we were to pull that off, it's pretty impressive.
Robert DiLella Jr.. And is that happening again this year or is that an annual event?
Nikki Audia. So it is. It's February is our wine, women and shoes event and in November we were actually a $1 million shot which is a new extension of Studio 440 who they are the ones that own wine, women and shoes. So there it's a new thing that they're doing and we were chosen to host their inaugural event this year. In November. So we do kind of want to.
Co-host. So it's an evening dinner event that basically culminates with six people being chosen at random for a chance to win a million dollars.
Nikki Audia. Anna Porsch. On a hole in one. Really? Anna Porsch.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Anna Porsch. Anna Porsch. Anna Porsch.
Nikki Audia. Anna Porsch. Yeah, two year lease. Yeah, pretty cool. Really.
Robert DiLella Jr.. And how do you get in that? We don't know.
Nikki Audia. We got to buy a ticket. It's an insured hole. So it'll be people at random. So I think we'll have like a CPA firm is going to be the ones that we actually just were talking this over. We'll basically choose who these people are at random because, you don't want it to be like a sticky situation because there's a lot of vetting that goes into are you even eligible to take the million dollar shot, right? So You can't hold a PGA card. You can't be a golf instructor. There's some small things. Caveats where our insurance policy doesn't allow you to actually even be eligible to take the shot. It's 175 yards of pure magic that could potentially happen.
Nikki Audia. So it's going to be a beautiful evening.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Wow, that makes somebody really want to practice.
Nikki Audia. Peter Bush will be there commentating the whole entire thing. We'll have some commentators there and we're pretty excited about it.
Robert DiLella Jr.. This is a November event. November. Oh, okay. Coming right up.
Nikki Audia. I don't have many days that is so now I had it on a little ticker, but like 50 some days until the until the big event.
Robert DiLella Jr.. How did you shift from because you came from the clinical clinician? I did. How did you shift from?
Nikki Audia. So that's a great question. So I've been in the healthcare industry my whole entire life. And then also became like a true advocate in the cancer space. Just because I've lost so many family members to cancer, lung cancer specifically. And my journey as yes, see lung cancers believe it or not the leading cause of cancer. It kills more women than breasts and ovarian cancer combined every year.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Really?
Nikki Audia. Yes. However, we don't talk about it, right? Everybody's wearing white in November. And it's because there's not a lot of advocacy in the cancer space. And it's kind of sad, which is where I've became a really like a self advocate to go out and remind people that you're eligible for free lung cancer screenings. Why aren't we talking about this? Prevention is important, right? Because if you catch it early, then you have a huge, you survivability is so much better than 80 to 90% survivability. Yeah, you and I both are eligible for free lung cancer screening every single year.
Nikki Audia. When you go and meet with your providers, they don't actually have to have these conversations with you. And it's because Medicare does not require them to, which is really sad, right? Which my passion is advocacy. And I go out and say, Hey, I go and say you need to, advocate for, lung cancer screening, talk to your doctor and say, Hey, listen, I know I'm eligible for a free lung cancer screening every single year, but it takes you to go and have these conversations with your doctor to remind them, Yeah, you are here you go. Here's your order for a low dose CT scan. And it could save your life. My father is the same thing. My father passed away from lung cancer.
Nikki Audia. It took him in six weeks. But of course, that cancer had probably been domicile in his lungs for some time as, you don't have to be he was a past smoker, right? But 30% of people are non smokers under the age of 40. So if you have a set of lungs, you are at risk for lung cancer, right? The first leading cause, of course, is environmental self induced. Second is a rate on exposure, believe it or not. So there's a lot of Risks that are, unassociated with necessarily smoking.
Nikki Audia. So That's my true passion is advocacy, which kind of was what really brought me to work and represent the Cincinnati Cancer Foundation, the Naples Cancer Advisors, the clinic here, because being an healthcare bedside my whole life and respiratory, I shortly had a small. Time there in administration, I ran a lung cancer program. And during my time there, Naples Cancer Advisors had become seated here in Naples. And I had sent some patients there some resources and
Robert DiLella Jr.. From you were up north, or, I've been here, I was here.
Nikki Audia. Okay, so we're part of the Cincinnati Cancer Foundation, which fuels the ability for us to operate clinics. So our second clinic is here in Naples. So during time at the hospital, I was sending patients to the Naples Cancer Advisors. And I really just saw it as, wow, like this is incredible. What an unbelievable service to our community, to be able to have people come in, sit down and talk to doctors that are unaligned with any other organization, right, to be able to just focus on the patients. They don't take insurance, they're not aligned with any pharmaceutical company, any institution.
Nikki Audia. If you need a scan, they're not even going to send you to pro scan or radiology regional, which are both wonderful facilities. But they are truly honest, they keep you with your doctor and they just work in conjunction. They kind of just work for you for free. And the fact that you don't have to qualify, not needing insurance, you could be impoverished, or you can be a millionaire. They only see you as a patient. They never ask for any money. And I was like, wow, this is an unbelievable organization. So anyways, during my time there I had a shift morally where I'm like, this is, the non for profit is truly my calling, right? I really want to be a steward to the community.
Nikki Audia. And at that time, they had a position opened up as a director of philanthropy. And I said, well, I've never done this before. I've never had to go and raise money. But I'm a steward for the community. It's really part of who I am. So I had asked Lana, who's the CEO, the executive director, I said, hey, like, will you take a chance on me? I don't really have experience in the philanthropy role. But I know my community, I'm from here. I and really, I knew that there was nobody else that'd be more perfect for the role. Because I've been bedside, I've been a clinician, I've been the person in administration, I've been the voice. So really, who else would be more perfect?
Nikki Audia. So I've been there about a year. In August was I have been there a year with the organization and really happy to be there and represent this resource for our community.
Robert DiLella Jr.. You left the comfort of a great career and certainty and stability and, healthcare is always going to be there to jump over here and be in this whole new role that you've never done before.
Nikki Audia. Yeah, it's pretty interesting. And really, I kind of feel as though I've kind of advanced in the sense of just like kind of growing right professionally, interpersonally, really kind of filled the cup that I That I wanted and really just to be able to use the platform to promote advocacy, which is really great., being here, I'm able to just kind of fill so many pillars by raising money, they allow me the opportunity to go and use my voice to write proclamations and resolutions for our community, right? Like tomorrow, I'm writing, one of our proclamations with the county for breast cancer awareness.
Nikki Audia. So they allow me the opportunity to really still fill that, pillar and, in our community by also raising money, right? So it's it's pretty incredible.
Robert DiLella Jr.. What was the Transit? Were there any surprises to you that you didn't know about the position that?
Nikki Audia. Wow, probably. Surprises are They've all been really positive, my dry cleaning bill, right? Because I do a lot of events and I get to meet a lot of incredible people in the community. Surprises is I really thought that I knew Naples. But I think I really know Naples now., it's not just these beautiful beaches and, the fine dining. It's the people who give back is really unbelievable, right? Because people come here and they come for the beaches and they come and they, they become part of Naples. But really, Naples is really, really compassionate.
Nikki Audia. And when you get to know the people that go to these events and go to these galas are they really become part of the fabric by donating their time, their services, their companies. It's a little bit more deeper rooted, I think Naples is just kind of goes beyond that fabric that we always see. It's beautiful.
Robert DiLella Jr.. You said you thought you knew Naples. What is your, you grew up here?
Nikki Audia. I'm actually from here. I'm a unicorn. Yeah. There's not many of us. So I'm actually from Naples. Nowhere else I'm actually from here.
Robert DiLella Jr.. What's what high school?
Nikki Audia. Naples. I went to Naples and Barron.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Oh, you did both.
Nikki Audia. I did both. I did ninth and 10th at Naples and then 11th and 12th at Barron Collier.
Robert DiLella Jr.. So what do you consider yourself, Eagle or Cougar?
Nikki Audia. Well, probably, probably Cougar because my oldest I have a 20 also have a 25 year old who graduated from Barron Collier. So I went through the whole ROTC and band mom and the whole thing. And I'm, as you can see, as you just met my, I'm recycling. I also have a four and seven year old. So we'll see where they land.
Robert DiLella Jr.. And he's got his St. Anne's Shirt on today. He goes to St. Anne's.
Nikki Audia. Both of my little ones go to St. Anne's. So it's pretty incredible. Kind of do the whole full circle. It's crazy how fast these kids grow up.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah. Goes by in a minute.
Nikki Audia. It goes by so quick.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah. It was just a year ago that I was talking to your boss and that was a year went by fast Atlanta when I first met her.
Nikki Audia. Yeah. Yeah. She's an incredible woman.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah. Well, how did you meet her?
Nikki Audia. So she actually came into my office. I just started, well, maybe about eight months into the lung cancer screening program that I started at Physicians Regional. And they just came in to kind of basically be a, a resource in the community. And I remember just not making sense to me exactly how they're able to do all this. And just use them, a few times. And I was really personally invested in all these patients we sent through because again, my, especially with the lung cancer, I had sent several patients through who had lung cancer and I would follow up with the patients. I would say, so tell me about this Naples cancer advisors. How, how is it going?
Nikki Audia. How are they treating you? Because we wanted to make sure that, also if we were sending patients through that they trusted, resource, but everybody would rave over them. So I got to, know them a little bit better and going in and just seeing how the whole process worked. And they were pretty incredible. It was an incredible service. So that's kind of how I got to know them and really learn their mission and started hearing about how great the doctors were and just people's experience. And I was like, wow, this is a, it's a pretty great resource we have here.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Was it that, had you seen Naples differently than what you previously know being born and raised here?
Nikki Audia. Yeah. So I think just seeing Naples differently, just from a different lens, right? The optics of not just I guess really just being in rooms that, you hear about, let's just say like the wealth in Naples, right? About these people that come here, that come here but what you don't see are the donors and what they really do here, packing food and. Being in the rooms where they're giving back, right? So I think I was reading a statistic and then I think 12% of the income of these people go back into our community, which is, which is pretty amazing, right? To think about it.
Nikki Audia. And whether it's children's education or whether it's something that truly resonates with them, like whether it's cancer, but them giving back, whether it's, their, their hands, their talents, whatever it is. But it's really incredible. Most of these people in the community do that. And I would have never known that. I just thought people come here, they obviously worked really hard to get here. Somebody did, but they, but they give back. These people go to these events and they give back to our community. I didn't know that about Naples until I got into this role. And I was like, this is pretty amazing.
Nikki Audia. I feel so honored and lucky to know half of these people that I consider community partners and donors because they're pretty incredible people. I've also learned a lot from them, because they're, whether they've been CEOs of companies, I've learned a lot from them professionally speaking to, it's pretty incredible.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Growing up in Naples, you Have seen, I mean, even somebody came here five years ago, I've seen so many changes, but growing up here, what do you miss?
Nikki Audia. Oh gosh, the traffic. I mean, for sure. The traffic is probably, the number one thing I miss just the ease. I mean, we used to actually just ride our four wheeler. I remember when Publix right over here off by the mall was our only grocery store. And we used to ride our four wheelers literally from Golden Gates. If you remember where Sunshine Boulevard is, I mean, that's pretty far commute. And I guess this, the Freedom, I guess there wasn't a lot of communities. We had neighborhoods. So there wasn't a lot of like behind the gates, everywhere you go as a community, right? We used to ride our bicycle and, drink from the fountain hose.
Nikki Audia. I remember we used to even walk to school, which is being an elementary school, that's like unheard of. I won't even let my kid go to the mailbox,? But just the sense of community, I guess, and the traffic. But I know we need the traffic, right? Because it helps all of our people in hospitality and all that. So sometimes I feel bad about complaining about traffic. And then when you talk to some people, they're like, oh, this isn't traffic. People that are coming from up north. And I'm like, this is traffic for us. So
Robert DiLella Jr.. Is there a restaurant that you miss from back in the day?
Nikki Audia. So there's two restaurants. So Crackle and Jack's off 951 Which definitely you would have to have an open mind to go there, right? To eat frog legs and all those things, right? Nana Vettas, which I think it still might be here. I don't know. I think they actually moved to a different place.
Robert DiLella Jr.. And then before, what was Nana Vettas?
Nikki Audia. Nana Vettas was just like a really, it was like a hole in the wall. I don't know if anybody's listening. It was a hole in the wall basically off of Golden Gate Parkway. And it was good. It was just like country breakfast, gravy, sweet tea that probably had way too much sugar in it, but I definitely enjoyed. Yeah. And I think this little Italian restaurant called Little Italy's was really good off of 41. Yeah. Yeah. Do you ever been Dairy Queen? I don't know. You've, I've been a little longer than you, but Dairy Queen has been in several locations. It actually used, it started off of 951 in Golden Gate Parkway.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Dairy Queen wasn't always where it is now.
Nikki Audia. And then it went to the red little one off 41.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Now it's, now it's up on seventh or the other. Yeah. Cause the original with the red roofs in the taco place now.
Nikki Audia. I Still do frequent Dairy Queen every Friday with my kids after school.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah. That's the Friday treat.
Nikki Audia. You can catch me there with a chocolate blizzard, extra risi cups.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Extra risi cups. Yeah. So good.
Nikki Audia. Every Friday, I'm there for the most part.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah. That's our, that's what I want you to treat a blizzard with. Yeah. Oreos and yeah, she tries to get the chocolate, the Peanut butter. They don't have cups there. They got to do PCs. Yes. I know.
Nikki Audia. Yeah. I know it's okay.
Robert DiLella Jr.. So You have a 25 year old, yeah, seven and four. And what are they? Boys, girls.
Nikki Audia. So my 25 year old is a girl. She was an amazing athlete at Barron Collier. She did the ROTC, played a softball and basketball and did all the things.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Coach Reesop, her coach at the time.
Nikki Audia. Nope. She wasn't. He wasn't. Mike Hamburg was her basketball coach. He's an amazing coach. He was, he's probably retired now. I don't know. I saw him maybe a couple of years ago at a softball game there because my younger one, she plays softball too. No, I don't actually, I don't know if he's retired or not, but so now she actually works for Microsoft. So she's traveled a bit. So she started off in Iowa and then she's went to Dallas and now she's in Milwaukee.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Oh, she's free spirit. She'll go anywhere then.
Nikki Audia. Yeah. Follow the AI coolers.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Oh yeah. That's all right. And will she come back for the holidays or what's, what's.
Nikki Audia. So she probably will not. She is a workhorse. So she, she just uses the opportunity to work, work, work. She should just go visit her. I loved when she was in Dallas because Dallas was, I mean, I loved Dallas. I remember just being there and being like, Oh my gosh, I could actually see myself living there. But then I was like, Oh, I don't think I could ever leave Naples. This is my home. So it was a cool city. Have you been to Dallas?
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah, I like Dallas. Yeah. Yeah. It's got some chic areas.
Nikki Audia. It's like new, it's clean. I like flowers and there's fun stuff to do.
Robert DiLella Jr.. And Yeah, there's a lot of culture there. Yeah.
Nikki Audia. But we still visit Dallas quite often because my seven year old is really, really, really good in jiu-jitsu. So we spend a lot of our time. Yeah. Like really, really good. So we travel a lot with her In jiu-jitsu.
Robert DiLella Jr.. And she's passionate about that. She loves it.
Nikki Audia. She's actually ranked, believe it or not, at seven years old.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Really? So what does that involve? Like, cause she's sparring too, but it's also the movements.
Nikki Audia. So she, she, a lot of wrestling, a lot of, jiu-jitsu is more than, yeah, it's more, it's like, it's grappling. Yeah. So she does a lot. So she, last week, she actually, we never typically do local tournaments, but we did a local tournament a few weeks ago and she was the only girl in her division. She dominated the whole division, which is not uncommon. She did pretty good. this week and we were out of town and she won. Then I got my four year old doing it too, just because by default, I'm like, well, if we're already here, you're going to do it. So he's just become like natural at it too.
Nikki Audia. So, but there's something good., I always said my kids have to play an individual sport. So whether she were to do great in ballet or dance or something, we did try that, but that's not for me. but she'd always have to do something that was an individual sport and then a team sport and which has a ball. So basketball or, football or whatever. but she, she does softball and, flag football on Friday nights. Flag football too. Yes. So keep them busy.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah. That's great. What about your upbringing? You have brothers, sisters, yeah.
Nikki Audia. So, yeah. So I actually grew up with five boys and I was the only girl.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Wow. Where were you in the birth order?
Nikki Audia. Middle. Yeah. I was in the middle. So I, grew up, I did gymnastics, I ran track I got paid soccer, but I kind of like probably interrogated my brothers. I mean, I definitely played football with them and, baseball and road dirt bikes and, paintball guns and four willing.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Your parents here and Naples.
Nikki Audia. My mom is my mom is my dad passed away.
Robert DiLella Jr.. And what's your mom's name?
Nikki Audia. Jody.
Robert DiLella Jr.. And how would she describe you?
Nikki Audia. Oh gosh. Probably determined, determines, probably compassionate. And I'm probably, like an empath to default, I guess. But I am A huge advocate too. Like that's probably, I think if you were to ask any of my friends to, that would probably be something I'd want to advocate for everybody Compassionate to Strong willed. Very strong. Yes.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Who had a big impact on your growing up? How did you get to be the way that you are influenced you?
Nikki Audia. Oh gosh, that's a great question. I think I was always looked up to my grandmother. She was a very strong, she had a pretty strong personality. I probably, I think I was probably her biggest fan, like growing up. And then just, yeah, I remember growing up with a young lady I went to school with, which is probably why I became a respiratory therapist. She had cystic fibrosis. And I remember just like all the respiratory therapists having such an impact on her life. She lived until her thirties and I think she had two lung transplants. It was pretty incredible. so I knew right away, this is what I want to do.
Nikki Audia. I want to go into respiratory care and, just naturally knowing, having your degree in cardiopulmonary science, you learned so much about the lungs, so much about these rare diseases. that I just knew that, I was always fascinated by cancer and Yeah, so I think between Jennifer and my grandmother and just being an advocate Those two women.
Robert DiLella Jr.. So what is it that Was there a point in your life where you knew that this, this one, this was like your mission, you were going to be out on this or did it just sort of fall into your lap that you.
Nikki Audia. Know, I think I have unique situations. Of course, my 25 year olds I had right out of high school, right? So, being a single mom out of high school, those, I had challenges, right? So I didn't get to go off to college right away, right? So honestly, there wasn't probably a resource in the community that a single mom like myself hasn't tapped into. So, whether it was school or, I had my support of my parents and my mom, but, I had to grind. I had to start my own cleaning company. I had to clean houses. I remember I worked at city mattress during the day and thank goodness they were so amazing., worked in the art department and the marketing department.
Nikki Audia. Yeah, they were amazing. So, I was like, I want to go back to school. I knew I had to hustle. So my daughter at the time, I picked her up from school every day from sports club and we went and we cleaned house, office buildings, the law firm over there off of Mokley road in 41. And I remember like, I don't, I didn't even really cook dinner. We went to McDonald's. We did homework at a law firm desk and we were there every night. The two of us cleaning office buildings. Well, we started doing and then finally I, was doing school, gotten to school and I knew that I'd have to pivot into, daytime cleaning. So I'm like, okay.
Nikki Audia. So I had to cut back on my hours and started doing residential cleaning and became the best residential cleaning person that I was able to leave my leave work and started my own cleaning company. And it was the best cleaning company. I definitely didn't charge the least because I wanted to sell a service in a brand. I made sure everybody knew that blue bath towels would never, you would never see those bath rags and your kitchen for cross-contamination. And, yeah, so I hustled. I cleaned houses, scrubbed toilets, put myself through school. And, yeah. So like I said, there wasn't, a resource in the community that hasn't helped.
Robert DiLella Jr.. And you drank out of a hose and you survived.
Nikki Audia. Yeah, I survived.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah. You didn't have a Stanley cup.
Nikki Audia. No, I did not have a Stanley cup and we rode bikes and we knew to come home and we knew that there was dinner and yeah, the comforts of 1980. It's the eighties.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah. In Naples, which Naples, which is crazy to think of that. Which, Naples ended at Pine Ridge and airport. That was the end of that's two different up in there. That's crazy. When Baron Collier went in, it was like, Oh my gosh, that's a whole new spot.
Nikki Audia. No, now there's like so many high schools. I was like, Oh my gosh, I think just in the past 10, 15 years, like there's golfcoast high school. There's Aubrey Rogers
Robert DiLella Jr.. Which is like a university campus. Looks incredible.
Nikki Audia. It looks unbelievable. Then there's Palm Meadow Ridge high school. There's all these high schools that weren't even, yeah.
Robert DiLella Jr.. And then the private schools too. Well, community schools, charter.
Nikki Audia. Oh, there's some, yeah. There's so many schools now. It's unbelievable.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah. Yeah. Little Naples.
Nikki Audia. Yes. It's not little anymore.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah. I know. It's still I can't escape how perfect it is because it's hard to go on vacation from here because it's so, it's a pleasantville, just
Nikki Audia. I know it is. I suppose, I'm from here. So it's so funny because I'm like, Oh, I want to go up north. I want to go skiing. It'd be nice to be in the snow. But whenever I talk to somebody, they're like, no, you do not want to do that. 15 minutes to get all donned up with all your snow stuff on. And do you really want to do that? And I'm like, yeah, I've never really, really been in the snow. I would love to do that. But everybody I know does not want to go to the snow. They're like, we want to be here. So unless I jet pack by myself in a snow suit, I'm not going.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Who Is your organization for?
Nikki Audia. It's for anybody in Southwest Florida. Anybody. So again, you do not, as long as you have cancer, anybody in Southwest Florida that has cancer, anybody, like I said, you do not have to qualify. You do not have to, you don't need a referral. As long as you have cancer, you can come into our organization and talk to literally the, like the leading cancer experts. Like for instance, our breast cancer doctor is Dr. Robin Zahn. She is the best breast cancer doctor, I think in the world, or I don't know if in the world, but she is one of the top leading breast cancer doctors. And you have access to her completely for free. And what we do is we never consume care.
Nikki Audia. What we do is we work alongside your oncologist. So for instance, one in three cancer treatment plans could be different, right? So what our doctors do is they literally take your chart, they absorb your chart, right? I think they spend eight to 10 hours collectively on your chart alone. They make sure that everything is seamless, right? That there's, no stone unturned. If you're eligible for a clinical trial somewhere, or maybe there's something that was missed. And what we do is we work alongside your oncologist to make sure that, we're a partner with you, we're an advisor, but without not consuming the care, right?
Nikki Audia. So if there's, here's an example, there was a lady that came to see one of our breast cancer doctors not too long ago. And for her, she didn't want to lose her hair. She was a young lady. And for most people, that seems silly, I don't, you have cancer, just have the treatment. She did not want to lose her hair. So our doctor, Dr. MJ was able to really slow the process down. Because as we all know, that cancer didn't happen overnight, right? Most people are so reactive and think that they have to jump on the first treatment plane that they hear. You don't need to do that. Cancer has been there a long time, right? Slow it down. But Dr.
Nikki Audia. MJ was able to do he was able to find a treatment plan for her that fit her and her cancer. So she went through her treatment plane and never lost any of her hair. So it's really, it's the ability and the bandwidth that our doctors have to be able to slow cancer down and really, really take on you and your whole entire cancer as a whole, and not consuming care, because we know really, we want to keep cancer care local. Because we know if you're getting cancer care in your own community, right, if we can orchestrate and work with your doctor to get that treatment brought to you here at your cancer center, because we have some phenomenal doctors here in our community.
Nikki Audia. If we're able to bring that to you here, and you're able to sleep in your own bed, eat at your own dinner plate, kiss your grandchildren and go to church, have the sense of a community. Statistically speaking, you are going to heal faster and probably have a better outcome. People that travel to get second opinions, even lodging can spend up 10, $15,000 in expenses. We offer this for free, completely for free, unobjective, unobjective opinions. Again, if you need something, whether it's blood work, we just work alongside your doctor. We say, "Hey, listen, this person could probably benefit from a PET scan.
Nikki Audia. We're not going to order it because we're not going to be aligned with anybody, but they probably could benefit from this." We also offer the support groups completely for free, the genetic testing. It's an incredible, incredible service that we have here. And I will say, a lot of these doctors probably want to do what our doctors do, right? See two patients a day, really be able to Immerse themselves in those charts, right? Not having to look at the chart right before they walk in the room. They see probably 30 patients a day. They probably want to be able to do that, but they don't have the bandwidth to do that. So that's what we do. We do that for you.
Nikki Audia. And we just work with them. We never consume care. We don't write orders. We don't draw blood. We just kind of look through your chart and work with your doctor. It's pretty incredible.
Robert DiLella Jr.. My best friend just recently, who's been my rock in my life since Baron Collier High School when he moved here Many years ago, and we're high school buddies and we've remained great friends. He just recently had this lump on his Neck and his lymph node and had it tested and it tested positive for Head and neck cancer squamous cell. But he's in the early stages of what's going to happen. He just Had a second biopsy done on the area where they think it came from or the area where they think it is. And he has his oncologist now. Like he has an oncologist he's working with who I guess does surgery and you know if it's necessary or whatever.
Robert DiLella Jr.. How would him benefit and what could he do?
Nikki Audia. So here's what I would say. I really don't think anybody would never like not benefit from coming to see us right because maybe you're on the right track or maybe you're not on the right track. You learn something when you go in there. So you learn either about your cancer or what's expected Or what it's going to look like for you. I mean really they spent two to three hours with you. They ask you to bring someone with you. Really to have somebody there to either write notes or digest something maybe you didn't hear. Really I think anybody that has cancer that comes in and sees us it's beneficial right. Again you just call. You don't need a referral.
Nikki Audia. You just call and say I have cancer. You just have to have cancer. And you just call and say hey I'm in the process of this. This is you know what has happened. Of course we would want all your medical records so we could speak to you. But they could even, talk to him about like you know what's next or, you're on the right method or hey maybe there's a clinical trial that's, circulating or or whatever that is.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah there's so much that he's going through and I'm going through with him as his best friend., all these questions and fears and, waiting for the results of the test like the in the biopsy Thursday last Thursday and now we're waiting to see what they say and what the process is going to be whether he's going to have surgery or not. But just the emotional side of it too.
Nikki Audia. It is and that emotion is going to be for the rest of their life. I feel like just being kind of around some of these I call warriors. There's always that six month scan. There's always that year scan. There's all these, for the I feel like for the rest of their life people that have gone through the has gone through cancer literally probably lives with a little bit of anxiety right whenever these scans come up. Because, once your body's had cancer I mean you're obviously more likely to have a reoccurrence than an average person. So we all have cancer in our body right now. It's just our our body's ability to fight that off.
Nikki Audia. I'm sorry you're going through that though but, I will tell you this Having somebody in your life a best friend somebody you can confide in is so important. So what you're doing for your best friend is pretty incredible because sometimes it's not about like having the answers or having or having a treatment or but it's just listening right and being a sounding board for somebody that's just going to be there to listen to you because truly like when I surround myself with these people I'm an awe by them.
Nikki Audia. I'm like, having such a busy life and these people having cancer thrown on top of it like I don't even know how I would be able to do it but some of these people do it with such grace right and I think it's because it's the people that have a you in their life right. Somebody to just filter through and just like being able to listen, to what they're going through and maybe not having all the answers but knowing that you have somebody in your corner is probably the best medicine and the best thing anybody could have. So thank you for all the cancer people people that are going through this because everybody needs a you.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah yeah well I know it's such a shock to both our systems because he's my rock, he's the guy who's always been there for me and he he just when it's somebody that close to me it's my parents are another, lost my mom and dad both to cancer. But I'm sorry. But when it's a peer that's around your age you're like wow that's your your own mortality and being here because cancer you just hear that word and it just right away it's just. So.
Nikki Audia. One and two people love cancer in their life wow it's incredible It's it's extremely scary and so it's actually one it's the statistics are skewed it's like one and two and a half people will end up with cancer. But it's like one and one and two. But also for for someone like yourself whether it's a wife or a husband, the feeling of like helplessness right to know that like you can't do anything for them right that's that's hard right to know like you want to fix things right, like you're the fixer whether you're the mom or the husband just to know that they're going through this and you can't do anything right. Yeah it's awful it's an awful feeling. Yeah yeah so.
Robert DiLella Jr.. How can Well two questions one is how can we help or how can people help but before that how do people how are they referred to you how do they find out about you
Nikki Audia. Well you don't need a referral you can just call you can just call the Naples Cancer Advisor's office you can it's not Naples which is off we service as long as you're in Florida we can see you the doctors don't live here of course. Because they're from all over different categories blood whatever you'll you would zoom in for a lot of these appointments. But we have an on-site like nurse practitioner that we have a clinic here right by the mall actually real close to the mall you just call no referral needed. But we do work we'll work in conjunction with you and your oncologist no referral needed though.
Robert DiLella Jr.. How can someone help how can they support you what can we do
Nikki Audia. Well we do have two big events every single year that we do to support our non-profit because again we don't take any money we're 100 fuel by philanthropy so we don't take insurance or qualifications all of our doctors are only allowed to work for us they can't work for anybody else which keeps them really honest we have an event coming up in November super excited about it's called the million dollar shots and it's not a golf tournament if you can envision a gala in the evening under the stars at the renaissance in Fort Myers we'll have an illusionist there Peter Bushes our mc six people randomly selected to go up to the tee box and take a chance to win a hole in one and they would be they would win a million dollars and a Porsche a two-year lease on a Porsche which is through Porsche Fort Myers we're super excited about this it's an insured hole I know a lot of people ask how is a non-profit going to give a million dollars it's an insured hole.
Nikki Audia. So we're not giving a million dollars if we had that we would be giving it just back to our community. So we wouldn't have to do these events it's going to be cocktail, marketplace three course dinner entertainment it'll be very very beautiful evening what's the date of that november 14th.
Nikki Audia. Okay and the tickets you can buy online at the million shot dot org and then we do our event in february of next year we just did the one this year and like I was telling you we actually just won the community choice award which we're super excited about that being such a young non-profit here in the community I just found out over 4 000 we do 4 000 events between lee and collier county and for us to win that.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Is that the number of events that happened yes
Nikki Audia. I did not realize that till they were doing it 4 000 events wow that's incredible but I'm thinking about all the different non-profits or whatever that is really that just goes to show our community is. So amazing I mean just, it takes a village right and that's why our community is what it is it's just amazing. But the other one is in february and we are known the wine women in shoes we're doing february 19th and 20th. Well it'll be just the 20th. We're doing that at the new napells grand. So it'll be nice.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Oh that's gonna be when does that open back up
Nikki Audia. It opens up in the end of december january yeah so But the million dollar shot will be amazing it's an inaugural event so it'll be the very very first event that has ever been done and it's part of studio 440 who actually is the owner of wine women in shoes which is kind of a traveling market that goes around and we have the rights to it here in southwest Florida. But it's gonna be beautiful it's gonna be.
Robert DiLella Jr.. So people could go to the dinner they can go to the event they can buy a ticket
Nikki Audia. Yeah they can buy a ticket online it's gonna be it'll be great or a sponsor we always love sponsors and community support yeah so any of those any of those things great
Robert DiLella Jr.. What is the most Challenging part of your role
Nikki Audia. I really think for me to be able for my role is I guess Not having like, some of the seeing some of the people that don't have the resources right, I get hit a lot of times where people like, don't have insurance whether it's for cosmetic procedure or transportation or whatever whatever that is additional resources. So for me I want to help the world right I want to be able to say okay like you can't afford to have go have a pet scan done like I want to be able to find a resource for somebody like that's the biggest part is knowing that there's still.
Nikki Audia. So many pillars in the community that we need to fill and to know that, I'm not going to be able to fix the world but I wish that we did have something like that where we could have people go in and whether it's blood work transportation scanned surgical intervention. But. Just to say hyper focused on that but I there there are so many pillars that still need filled but we're pretty pretty fortunate that our community does have a lot of pillars filled in our community
Robert DiLella Jr.. When you're not Following your passion well I think that never leaves you I think that's inside you that's always there but when you take a break from it what Is the music playing in the background what's your what's your go-to music in your car.
Nikki Audia. Oh gosh it's so funny so I love all music but believe it or not I listen to piano music or like string music you would never peg me for that most people are really surprised by that. But do I listen to all different types of music. But for the most part like my work music I guess in my car right now too I listen to a lot of strings I love like the violin. And the piano I think it's just. So relaxing I don't know I love that.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Any books or podcasts that you're
Nikki Audia. Yeah I'm a big book reader I love books yeah I love books I am more of a sci-fi junkie though so yeah don't judge me but yeah I do I love a lot of that sci-fi crazy stuff
Robert DiLella Jr.. What are what's a time too
Nikki Audia. Like like true blood like the vampire things like the crazy stuff those are probably mine I think it's like a different like reality like coming out I hate sad sad stuff I'm not a sappy person. Because I truly like take on a book right take on a movie and I take it with me and I'm truly committed and I'm like and then I'm like oh my gosh I can't do like even some of the news now I can't even I can't even watch the news. Because I'm like oh my goodness this is just I will like literally I take it in and I'm like oh gosh like how can we fix this yeah so even me like social media it's.
Nikki Audia. So funny I'm actually never really on social media I'm on linkedin but even when I go on there I find it's sometimes so sad, I'm like oh gosh like what can we do to help these people or why why is this happening, so I guess I'm too empathetic even when I was working in the er, somebody came in I knew that they always had a story. So non-judgmental I try not to judge
Robert DiLella Jr.. Do you have a hidden talent
Nikki Audia. Oh hidden talent I do jiu-jitsu
Robert DiLella Jr.. Oh you do as well yeah oh that's where it came from yeah how long have you been doing that
Nikki Audia. I actually have not been doing it very long so I can't like brag about initially I started doing it because it's a great workout it's a great workout and also like I just I'm watching and I'm like there's. So many positions you're put in right where you have to stop and like breathe right when whether it's you're being in an armbar or something. But you're like you literally have to stop and like strategize. Okay well how am I going to get out of this because jiu-jitsu really is it's like a mental art too it's like mental jiu-jitsu like you have to stop pause and how are you going to get out of here you can't panic.
Nikki Audia. So I love stuff like that I just took that pickleball too No I wouldn't. Yeah I.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Haven't gotten there yet let's try it like keep being enticed to do it but I haven't such an obsession for some people now yeah
Nikki Audia. Yeah I know I don't know if I have any talents I probably no
Robert DiLella Jr.. How do you use ai
Nikki Audia. This is actually really good I Just started cloud or cloud cloud and I do use it for like work related things where whether it's type this email and send it to, 10 of the people and make it a broad email I use it for that. But I definitely do not subscribe to like the chat gpt and the reason is I'm like a little nervous like, because you are feeding, we need ai but we're also feeding this like what's going to happen in like four or five years after it gets all the information and it's like. Okay now you are the product right so you need to pay us 500 a month or whatever it is to have a membership right because nothing's free nothing's free in this world.
Nikki Audia. So right now ar like we are the product yeah I feel like we are.
Robert DiLella Jr.. The product if you're not paying they're using your data I'm
Nikki Audia. Saying that's why I'm like it's it's super scary and I also, one of the memes me recently was like in 10 15 years from now like people like almost like cavemen where they were like like people don't even know how to think, yeah and I don't agree with it in school absolutely not like I do not agree with it I think our kids need to learn right and not just. But learn learning how to, I remember like the do we do a system like going to the library like right now it's it's like no one even visits the library right.
Nikki Audia. But I definitely think that ai has it has a place and where I think it has a really good place is in health care and things that like the hidden eye cannot see necessarily whether it's radiologist. But, they can it's an objective view right so it's subjective like if you're looking at something I remember being in a tumor board meeting and having like 10 doctors there and literally three or four of them would disagree on the picture on the screen.
Nikki Audia. So it depends on who's looking at it and what up like and under what lens right if you're looking at as a pulmonologist a surgeon so it's just having an unobjective eye I think that's where it would really be beneficial in health care without the human eye. Because being able to like really penetrate a scan and being able to look at every single time and getting that exact measurement and like precision of a scan or even surgery it's unbelievable some of the surgeries that are being done through ai.
Nikki Audia. Yeah it's incredible yeah that's where I would love to see advancement and I know we do people like driving these things and like, because you can never you still need, humanizing medicine right you need like a human there. Because I think that's the biggest thing right when everything becomes like, everything's so ai even like on social media now people are putting up posts that look like you can tell it's like it's horrible I'm like oh my gosh this is. So this is awful, you look close and somebody has six fingers and I'm like oh my what's happening and I actually get like a little offended too when people post photos and I'm like that doesn't even look like me.
Nikki Audia. Yeah I mean you could throw a filter on me now but I mean but I mean I'm like oh my gosh like did I look that bad that you had to like like give me like these massive lips and my skin looks like like really anyways people. Yeah and then you meet people you're like wow you did totally don't even look like that yeah that's real person in real life so it's crazy.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Are they what about the kids your kids with ai are they introduced to it is it not in school
Nikki Audia. I mean well I do not think so my kids are still quite young but my older daughter of course, she didn't actually yeah so she is in that's what it's what she's in she's in that business now working for microsoft and which is funny. Because growing up, we she didn't have social media because I didn't know well I didn't allow her to have social media until she was 18 because it was still kind of like, starting to be a thing there was no tick tock I don't think it had just kind of started.
Nikki Audia. But I just knew like there was nothing good that was going to come from social media at least at that time right or maybe I wasn't buying into it but it was we were like a no social media household even now like I unless it can be used for like like real good I mean there are some places and platforms that yes I even get like a lot of information from there. But I feel like teenagers for the most part it's not it's not they're not using it appropriately. So
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah it's there's so many
Nikki Audia. A lot of bullying
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah well yeah and you just didn't have that when you had your even pre-cell phone you just had a pager yeah the beeper that's right the beeper that's it yeah hello call me
Nikki Audia. Yeah what was that number it was at 43770 remember you turned it upside down
Robert DiLella Jr.. Oh let's say hello yeah you had to figure out different words to do that
Nikki Audia. There was a whole bunch of gosh I remember there was a bunch of different things if you turned it over it would say something anyways that was a long time ago
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah now it's crazy yeah now you have to check your instagram inbox your your linkedin inbox your text your whatsapp if, somebody internationally
Nikki Audia. Oh my gosh and there's a lot of pressure because I will tell you this I've gone out several times people are like I sent you a friend request on facebook and you haven't and I said, something I'll be quite honest with you I actually don't even use facebook here's why here's where I use facebook I use facebook for an the instapot community you know how they have like recipes and I follow it. So then you just have like this you know where you feel obligated right you feel obligated to add them as a friend and then the whole time you're like oh my gosh like I don't I don't want to see all this stuff I really just want to get back to the instapot community.
Nikki Audia. Because I want to, get back to cooking dinner but there's a lot of pressure so I always tell people like because I quite honestly do not log on to facebook at all right. But you go on and you have 279 friend requests you're not going to find me there I'm on linkedin so I do check linkedin quite often because for me it's like fruitful like I learn.
Nikki Audia. So much from there I connect with like-minded people it gives an opportunity for, to spread awareness and like learn something and instagram is good too because it's even though I really don't use that too even though it looks like it we do post things quite often where for our events where I need to be visible and, help promote the event. But I personally prefer linkedin because it's. Does its job
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah it's not the latest florida man disaster what he's
Nikki Audia. No I yeah because I also I like I said I hate sad news I hate sad news which is probably another reason I try not to go on them yeah and then I keep doing it too and you think that it would learn me my algorithm right which it hasn't yet. Because, you can click on it and says say like show less or whatever you find it disturbing still gives it to me I'm like what's going on here right clearly not you're not listening to me. So.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Why did you choose to use clod over chat gpt
Nikki Audia. Great question so I was at a meeting with the above board chamber that was hosted at florida southwestern and we went there and they were asking like what what do I want help with and I said. Well maybe some quick like broad, some maybe some broad mass emails when it comes to our campaigns and things so they said oh well clod would be good for you so I said. Okay okay they were the experts so we did do a clod membership so I do use that. Not every day but I when I send like mass emails out or I just learned that I could do spreadsheets so I'm putting together a spreadsheet on fc napells we're doing a big breast cancer awareness night on october 24th.
Nikki Audia. So we help with that event they've been great partners fc napells to have they do a lot of community stuff here which is which is pretty amazing so it I asked clod hey put together a spreadsheet of all the breast cancer survivors shirt sizes their phone numbers and their email addresses and it did it for me super excited. Yeah that's nice I did not know it did that I just learned that did it make spreadsheets yeah I did have a second a problem copying it into it that our google drive. But other than that it. Like I got it
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah learning yeah well you can even tell it fixed my google drive because I was having that issue this morning with google drive I was it wasn't communicating and I was fix this. So you fix it told clod to fix it. Because oh wow you could do that yeah yeah.
Nikki Audia. I am actually honestly too I think just spending a lot of time in health care right working bedside you're just like checking orders you're, you're using a completely different platform sure, we're looking at orders reading doctors things. So for me like being behind a seat with like this other software it's kind of like, it's like overwhelming, you know how to write an email. But it's really kind of all new to me. Yeah so I get a little frustrated with myself that I'm not as fast as maybe other people are at it but I've been forced to do it. So I'm learning but I'm definitely not like would consider proficient yet and most of these things.
Robert DiLella Jr.. My wife is a physician and she if I go to the doctor or if I'm At the hospital with somebody else I will the conversation with the doctor or nurse or whoever and then have it because she'll ask me a million questions that I don't have the answer to and I only hear bits and pieces. But. Some words I know and some I don't so she'll ask me but I'll ask ai to summarize this for a physician so it takes the talk of the doctor puts it gives it her her message and. So she can then tell me and not ask me questions that I don't know the answer to but it's really good at that like it's awesome, because I think I didn't realize how many people.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Don't know or are afraid to question medical care not like anything's wrong but if it's your life on the line yeah, like it's okay to get a second opinion it's okay to ask somebody else it's
Nikki Audia. I mean it's so crazy people go and get second opinions on car insurance on like your like why wouldn't you like reinvest a little time in yourself and you'd be so surprised it's unbelievable like if you're going to get like a knee replacement or this or that and I think it's it's fear people are. So afraid right they're. So afraid that, especially if you have the hear the word cancer that they have to be so reactive that they have to act now because they feel as though, they're dying and if you are that far along right like terminal like you clearly do not need a second opinion right like you probably need a hospice or a palliative.
Nikki Audia. But what you what people don't realize is you can actually slow down when it comes to cancer, slow down and really look at your options. Which is why we're here.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah well it's good to hear from me because I Have been on this anxious ridden thing with my best friend like hurry up when are we getting the results
Nikki Audia. Hurry up yeah You don't need to be again if you and if you ever need us please I would be happy to and there's that's something else like that's like for us it's we're a resource here, we are. So grateful that we have the resources to be able to do that, there's.
Nikki Audia. There's nothing at all I mean whether it's a warm hand off to our clinical team I mean you would I would connect you and your friend with with our clinical team great and at the end of the day you always learn something whether it's a little bit more about the disease state or more about your cancer one of our skin cancer doctors I thought I knew cancer right and specifically I definitely know lung cancer I'm not a doctor. But just because my degree is heart and lungs and I just really understand like the lung cancer space but I went in our doctor liming he's a phenomenal skin cancer doctor and I was.
Nikki Audia. So surprised I learned so much and the patient learned so much because I got to sit on one of his consultations it was incredible he was like drawing pictures and using like, examples of like if you were walking across the street and with a with a shopping cart this is where you are in your cancer it was literally the people were. So blown away and so was I it was like oh my gosh you really really understand your cancer and how empowering is that right to be able to walk into a room as like feeling that empowered and being able to even talk to your doctor.
Nikki Audia. Because, so much more about your cancer than you didn't before yeah from a true expert right yeah it's really empowering.
Robert DiLella Jr.. We don't get that time with our doctors no you don't no you don't
Nikki Audia. Look at the doctor as your as your wife
Robert DiLella Jr.. She works for arthrex and she's not in clinical practice she educates the surgeons that use the arthrex products so she's awesome she gets to work in the cadaver lab and
Nikki Audia. That is so amazing
Robert DiLella Jr.. The products that they use
Nikki Audia. That place is incredible when I first walked in there about a year ago It's like there was like there was like two cops manning the door and I got to take a tour it was incredible like no phones out it was. Yeah it was pretty cool how cool is that we get to have that here I know I know we are. So lucky.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah and it brings a lot of great people here too
Nikki Audia. It does it's it's pretty pretty impressive
Robert DiLella Jr.. Smart people and they pay well and take care of their employees they do great community partner
Nikki Audia. It really is where I remember maybe about 10 plus years ago they did this thing where they were stuffing bags and writing cards for veterans which was really amazing we went we volunteered the people from the sheriff's department their families got to go and stuff bags and things for for the military that was overseas I thought that was really cool.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah yeah they do do a lot of great stuff I mean he was Used to be on a horseshoe off airport I remember that yeah
Nikki Audia. I remember that yeah that crazy
Robert DiLella Jr.. It is now you look at it yeah
Nikki Audia. It's massive and they just they just opened up another one yeah that's it's so crazy and just the opportunities that brought in for the people that here like you said the people they bring here yeah so
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah their own their own hotel on property now oh do they yeah I do not realize yeah because they used to have to put the docks that come here to train at all the different hotels. So he said. Well we'll just put one here so they're right on property.
Nikki Audia. Oh wow that's awesome
Robert DiLella Jr.. They still have to use other hotels they Don't Yeah I mean the media studio that they have would probably blow away any of our have you seen it's just incredible oh really. Well it's just world class everything they do yeah yeah.
Nikki Audia. I guess that it's still like considered a family company yeah which is unbelievable I had no idea when I was talking to the lady she was she was so amazing and I did not realize that. But she says he still comes into work every single day.
Robert DiLella Jr.. And like in not a he doesn't pull up in a Bentley either he's probably got like a, five or eight year old car that you wouldn't think it was the ceo of arthrex. But he's he is there every day he's. So passionate about.
Nikki Audia. It and he's like really philanthropic too very much so really really philanthropic it's amazing we are so lucky our community yeah it's it's people like him yeah right he doesn't know about us yet. But I mean he is all these great people that are just that are in our community and really support it philanthropically so we live in this utopia right yeah and more importantly like the wine festival that brings in.
Nikki Audia. So much money which I think we were like seated I think collier county was seated that like the number one like one of the most philanthropic cities in the united states and I think that was obviously a huge portion of it was the wine festival that they do over here it's incredible. But that is that is but it stays local that all that money stays here in collier county yeah and if you think about it all of these kids it's for our kids that's where it starts like these kids are our roots right.
Nikki Audia. Yeah I mean where everyone's growing up but if you really want to change you have to start with our kids it's the most important thing I was at a town hall meeting about two months ago and paul hilts was there and they were gulf coast international was putting on it at thematics and they were talking about like your rebranding and paul's amazing he's a good leader in the community and I said. Well you need to do is like have a mobile like breast cancer screening like roll up to a soccer field right or a football field or whatever scanning machine it is I said.
Nikki Audia. Because that's how you're going to change someone's life right is they're going to go there they're going to get scanned and you're you saved his life because brought the prevention to them. Because as moms we are literally all day long we don't stop and dads too dads are incredible right they're the backbones they're out there working and, helping with this helping with that. But if you bring this prevention to the community and also it brings up the conversation with your kids right what is that bus well this is what the bus is for and here's what it opens up the conversation to be proactive instead of reactive right.
Nikki Audia. Because it's not let's wait until, mom has breast cancer and you're 16 years old so now you're going to go get a genetic testing see if you're positive for the brachogine no you know what that bus is you know what that you know what this is you know what a breast cancer screening is I've been taking my kids since they were three years old to get skin cancer screenings do you know why it's. Because I want them to know this is a part of life we love our body this is what we have to do it's like getting your teeth cleaned yeah right we're going to go in every year for skin cancer screening and when it comes time for all the other visits they're going to go right.
Nikki Audia. Because that's how you change a community you start with our kids and you make it a part of their their everyday fabric of like oh what does this mean what does this mean or this what is it that we have to do what is wellness and it's this is part of it plant it plant one of these things that some of these soccer fields are football games and you will literally rebrand that way. That's my because that's where it starts
Robert DiLella Jr.. That's the other you're going to get every mom every mom has to be there but
Nikki Audia. Not every mom is which is crazy one in eight women will end up with breast cancer in their life Which is which is crazy yeah and if you think about it a lot of these even prostate cancers and things like this one of my girlfriends her husband recently undergrew underwent prostate cancer and lo and behold he was over 50. But he didn't realize and maybe he would have been more proactive if proactive if he would have known he had prostate cancer in his family nobody ever talked about it yeah right. So probably wasn't as important for him to go for, screenings to check his levels his psa levels and but it wasn't until he was diagnosed with prostate cancer the mom was like oh.
Nikki Audia. Well, your dad had prostate cancer and it was like what nobody ever talked about this, so that's important too is having these conversations with your family if you are at risk for some type of cancer right. But me I say prevention for everybody because especially in the environment we live now the food the radiation all this stuff I feel like everybody is at risk, for some type of cancer, and sometimes like even these things are to me like skewed optically like when you hear that colon cancer is on the rise you can look at that two different ways is it on the rise.
Nikki Audia. Because more people are being scanned that we're knowing about it or is it because more people are just truly on the rise right I try to look at it positive like. Okay more people are actually going for prevention right and they're being detected earlier yeah so. I would love to see a community that invested in themselves and going and getting scans and really utilizing all the tools we have here in our community For scans for screenings and Reminding your friend to go get scanned or screened it's important, yeah we all need each other and I always say like you know when, put your mask on first like you do on the plane take care of yourself that's. So important.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah and busy moms are
Nikki Audia. Busy moms are like literally it's but we do we have to stop and pause because I know at the end of the day that no one can do my job like I do when I go out of town it takes five people to do my job to run my household my family does an amazing job. But I do it seamlessly every single day, but it takes a lot so I know that I have to put my mask on when it comes to myself because if I'm not there for my kids. That's not good right so reminding our friends and our family to pause and remind them hey did you get that scan, did you get those screening done don't put it off don't put it off.
Nikki Audia. Because you know whether it's cancer what whatever it is just invest in yourself, especially since we have the resource here so do it.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah and what a great resource too yes
Nikki Audia. Yes it's unbelievable
Robert DiLella Jr.. I want to make sure that people know so I want to reiterate november is your next event yes november november 14th 14th okay
Nikki Audia. Million-dollar-shot.org
Robert DiLella Jr.. Million-dollar-shot.org it's a beautiful website by the way okay it's really
Nikki Audia. Pretty or follow us on follow us on instagram even though our facebook we do a lot of stuff on there we have a great team that really puts a lot of our our events and things following us on social media we are really good about keeping up to date with all of our events our links our websites we do a lot of stuff in the community as. Well we do a little a lot of like little micro events where we sprinkle ourself around for awareness. So november 14th.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Okay and because this will be online indefinitely for the rest of our lives is it right so anybody stumbling across this in december or january you have an event in february right. Yeah of 27 And that event is the.
Nikki Audia. They're not that's not the inaugural it's the wine women and shoes events which everyone knows about this event I feel it's a pretty big event that we do every year
Robert DiLella Jr.. And that's going to be what are they calling it now
Nikki Audia. It's the wine women and shoes and it's going to be oh it's going to be the signa I think they signa yeah okay it's a new I just found out about that last week kind of panicked for a second I was like oh my gosh. So we have to like rebrand and I guess it's just one little small logo. So it's going to be beautiful though so pretty I've had the opportunity to go in several times with a hard hat on and stuff and it's.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Oh you've seen what
Nikki Audia. Yeah it is going to be beautiful wow seems like you want to talk about how it's going to be at night event yes Yeah so it's gonna be two things that are different and both of our events is they're both going to be in the evening historically we've done luncheons in the past we've always done just a ladies luncheon. Yeah this year we've listened to the people and it's going to be a co-ed event in the evening we have some. Opera singers it's a very night in a mauphy coast.
Nikki Audia. So it's going to be very very beautiful I don't want to tell you all the surprises but it's definitely gonna Blow everybody out of the park it's awesome yeah it'll be beautiful black tie some people don't love black ties. But I think most people here do.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah well it's the one time of year they get to do it yeah two times a year yeah
Nikki Audia. You will literally feel like you're stepping into the mauphy coast when you come that evening really yes yes
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah that'll be nice yeah since the Covid casualness kind of brought everybody like you go to the airport now and everybody's in there lulu and there people used to dress up at the airport I know
Nikki Audia. I always try to dress up in the airport yeah I don't know I think it's just something like you never I don't know I always try to dress fairly nice you never know. Yeah yeah you never know who you're gonna sit next to.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Is there anything else that you want that people should know or that we should talk about make sure that people are aware of
Nikki Audia. So I just think that I guess the biggest thing is to make sure that people know that you do not have to walk through cancer alone right dr william barrett that was his true mission is to make sure nobody walks through cancer alone and being able to have unbiased opinion and advisor on your side to go through this journey together. Which is which is pretty incredible.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah so well thanks for your
Nikki Audia. Oh my goodness thank you so much thank you so much and we matched look at this yeah
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah I love your golden goose
Nikki Audia. Look at this oh yeah these are pretty cool I have been a few different colors
Robert DiLella Jr.. Favorite part of my day here because that's pretty cool playful love those clay is there anything else that you want us to cover yeah yeah
Nikki Audia. Clay's amazing isn't he
Robert DiLella Jr.. He is awesome yeah I've followed him for years because he was my he was my window to what was happening in Naples he always knew he had to get some scoop on. Yeah yeah he he No I no I it was the only thing I read in the paper it was it was your piece I literally there's nothing else I looked at I look forward to that.
Nikki Audia. Yeah he's he's pretty amazing yeah so lucky To have him on our team to be able to Have us he's pretty awesome appreciate it
Robert DiLella Jr.. My final question for you What do you love about your life
Nikki Audia. Oh I love about my life is obviously my family my faith in my family is probably the most fulfilling But I guess like professionally right now or just my life in general Gosh it's like such a big question I love everything faith family freedom the fact that we have like all these things Of my my family's probably those two things are probably the things that really are just like my purpose right my purpose my drive and really at the end of the day all these things I'm doing I really feel like are for for my kids. But also for like the kids that's sitting next to my kid right.
Nikki Audia. So if the kid next to my kid let's just say whether it's cancer whether it's an abused child whatever it is like is to have a community that has resources whether it's a shelter or whatever it is that kid that's sitting next to my child needs our community needs a voice. Because if he's doing good my kids are going to do good right. So to be able to, fill this pillar community and to be a voice for those to, need a voice or resources for those who need resources. Beautiful yes thank you.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah thanks for sharing your passion with your heart and your empathy gift to our community
Nikki Audia. Thank you so much
Robert DiLella Jr.. Thanks for being willing to take care of all those people who need it because everybody's touched by this
Nikki Audia. Disease you too I mean just think about it like even what you're doing for your friend right now I mean that's You don't realize exactly what you're, you're doing for him. But I'm sure that you are absorbing a huge huge load off of him because I hear it from people and literally they can't do it without without he wouldn't probably do it. Because he probably doesn't want to burden his wife or whoever it is right.
Nikki Audia. So he has to be strong right and he doesn't have to be that with you right so what you're doing for him is he'll always always be grateful for you that he can be just be himself without judgment and just without being strong and really just being vulnerable being vulnerable is scary. Yeah and not, just having you in his life like that is amazing like you. Could save someone's life just by listening and being there for them. So what you're doing is pretty incredible.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Well I hope so I hope I can
Nikki Audia. Know it is I'm telling you I cancer people are my people and I know that people like you literally emotionally and even physically sometimes literally go through this with them it's so important So
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah thank you I'm gonna call him as soon as you leave too so check in with him today so I thank you for giving me that faith and hope in my relationship with him. Because Yeah I didn't know how to be like should I just be tough with it should I just be like oh we're gonna plow through this but just but I think just listening and being able to listen to him and hear what he's going through and hear his.
Nikki Audia. Just meet him wherever he's at that day wherever he is just like you just be there with him and yeah sometimes it's just like listening, and you're you're obviously doing that. But it's. So important to allow someone to be vulnerable yeah especially for men too because men are just like of course tough, like we got this yeah and it's okay to. To be afraid to be scared. So I appreciate it thank you so much.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah our our pleasure honored to have you honored to say you were one of the fellow neapolitans and a native
Nikki Audia. Yeah there's that many have you found probably one of the first ones you've interviewed that's actually from here
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah I mean there's kids my kids were born and raised here but adult mommies and daddies I don't know as many that are yeah born and raised here not not too many
Nikki Audia. I always say we should do like a fact like trivia you know how people really really know Naples like, like the zoo was, jungle areas
Robert DiLella Jr.. That sign which was there since the 60s I think
Nikki Audia. So now I think what is it the maza dealership was it went from there to king richards before it was king richards it was princess it was princess park
Robert DiLella Jr.. Oh I forgot about princess park
Nikki Audia. Yeah it was princess park initially and then what
Robert DiLella Jr.. Was the bank on here that was that was a bar yes the castle yes
Nikki Audia. Remember when you could drive through at the I-41 right over here and just, get your alcohol
Robert DiLella Jr.. Oh yes that's right the swamp buggy that's right oh The britches brew of course yeah the bar yeah oh xanza bar was in registry right yeah it was yeah I remember that oh my goodness even odds even odds was where What is it now felipe not felipe's park shore plaza there was an even odds bar right there and The open hearth was another one those were before my time. But I remember there were.
Nikki Audia. Bars there was even the skating rink that's now bingo hall maybe yeah
Robert DiLella Jr.. And that was the spot
Nikki Audia. That was the spot that and when you got a little bit older and you could drive you go to the town center off of in east Naples and you would just drive your car around in circles with like the radio station. Yeah. But even before that there was a place called sparklers that used to be televised on tv.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Was that where the golf game or off bay shore yeah the corner there right sparklers yeah
Nikki Audia. Are you kidding me I was like so excited to be able to go there and then I wasn't I remember just watching it and being like oh my gosh I cannot wait to get my rave hairspray out I'm gonna go there I'm gonna be dancing. But guess what they shut it down way too soon I never got to go you didn't get to get it I never got to go. So.
Robert DiLella Jr.. I remember that wow
Nikki Audia. Yeah it's crazy this Little town
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah there's so many you're right I mean even within the last five years ten years well people talk about King richards I mean that was like a big deal for that to
Nikki Audia. Be yeah that was I yeah When you walked in your feet would stick to the ground
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah even though it was like terrible that water when you walked in
Nikki Audia. With like the I don't know the reclaimed water that yeah oh gosh it was horrible yeah dirty the koi fish had five six eyes just like okay there's a bag of Doritos just floating around the lake or something anyways pretty cool I have parents to drop us off there 10 20 bucks. Yeah they're going for the games like all day like what can you do all day for that.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah oh my gosh and be left alone too like and be safe like hey you can go there and I'll drop you off and just
Nikki Audia. Yeah pick you up in 12 hours after work now you can just walk home so crazy so anyways thank you so much for for allowing us the ability to be here
Robert DiLella Jr.. Absolutely whatever we can do in terms of if we can give haircuts or services or products to any of your events if you want to if you want to Use us for that we're available to you for those. So if you if you have a silent auction or anything like that whatever way we can I'll hit you up on those things. But we I'm gonna put you in touch with marina who's our general manager and she's also gonna set you up for a day of pampering here too. So you'll get a oh that's awesome get some tlc and some love and whatever you want to have done makeover wise you don't have to have anything. But you can come get a blowout and come.
Nikki Audia. Oh that's so nice could done that today thank you yeah what about like for breast cancer patients or any that are losing their hair that'd be a really cool yeah I would love to find someone to help with that if you ever. Absolutely have a person I would. Because we do have a lot of people women that's one pillar one day I would love to fill is having women be able to have their hair cut or shaved like in a private setting, because it's that's that's a really hard one.
Robert DiLella Jr.. Yeah yeah they've done it well they've they've actually used this room for that before because they have
Nikki Audia. It's such a private thing wow oh it's so like it's like when you're with all these people it's almost like, like everyone's getting their hair done and curls and looking beautiful. But, it's it's got to be hard like just to be in a salon right and you're having your head shaved like there should be a private space for that right. Yeah if you ever want to work on something like that would be amazing I would love.
Robert DiLella Jr.. To be able to see how that would be really special for people yeah because we always know somebody who's
Nikki Audia. Yeah we always do yeah one in eight women even men get breast cancer right so we can't forget about our guys but yeah well we have to be there for our community Otherwise then who else will we
Robert DiLella Jr.. But whatever we can do to support you so
Nikki Audia. Well thank you so much I appreciate it
Robert DiLella Jr.. Of course so thank you zach you want to do a couple shots okay we'll do a couple